iPlum is a popular choice for professionals who want a separate business phone number, secure texting, and tools for managing calls without carrying two phones. It’s especially worth considering for healthcare providers who need HIPAA-focused communication features.
But iPlum isn’t the only option.
Maybe you’re shopping around before choosing your first business phone system. Maybe you want a different pricing structure, more integrations, or a phone service designed specifically for running a small business. Or maybe you just want to see what else is out there before committing.
Whatever your reason, you’ve got plenty of options.
We’ve put together 9 iPlum alternatives worth comparing in 2026. We’ll look at what each provider offers, who it’s best for, and what makes it different so you can find the right fit for your business.
1. What to Look for in an iPlum Alternative
Before comparing providers, it helps to know what you’re actually looking for. Most business phone systems offer calling, voicemail, and some form of call routing, but the details can make a big difference.
iPlum already offers many of these features, including phone trees, custom greetings, extensions, shared numbers, business hours, and team administration. The question isn’t necessarily which provider has more features. It’s which one offers the right combination for your business.
1) Business Phone Features
A separate business number is a good start, but there’s more to running a professional phone system than answering calls.
Look for features like:
- Local and toll free business phone numbers
- Auto attendants and custom greetings
- Call forwarding and routing
- Department and employee extensions
- Business voicemail and voicemail notifications
- Business texting
- Mobile and desktop access
Think about how customers will reach you, who needs to answer, and what happens when nobody’s available.
2) HIPAA Compliance and Security
If you’re a healthcare provider handling protected health information, security and compliance deserve special attention.
iPlum offers HIPAA-focused calling, secure texting, voicemail, administrative controls, and Business Associate Agreements (BAAs) on eligible plans. That’s a meaningful reason to consider it.
When comparing alternatives, don’t assume that a provider offering encryption automatically meets your organization’s HIPAA requirements.
Ask whether the provider supports your intended use, offers a BAA covering the relevant services, and provides the safeguards your organization needs.
3) Team Collaboration
Even if you’re working alone today, think about how you’ll handle calls when you bring on another employee.
Do you need several people answering the same number? Separate extensions? Shared text conversations? Different business hours for different departments?
iPlum supports shared numbers and centralized team administration, but other providers offer different approaches to collaboration. Compare how those tools work, which plans include them, and how much additional users cost.
4) Ease of Setup and Everyday Use
A phone system should fit the way you work.
Some business owners prefer a straightforward mobile app. Others want a desktop dashboard, advanced routing controls, or integrations with the software their team already uses.
Before committing, watch a product demo, explore the provider’s documentation, or try the service if a trial is available.
5) Pricing and Support
The cheapest advertised plan isn’t always the cheapest option for your business.
Compare the total cost of the features you’ll actually use, including additional users, phone numbers, texting requirements, and any optional services.
Also check what kind of support is available. Email, live chat, phone support, and assisted onboarding can make a difference when you’re setting up something your business depends on.
2. The 9 Best iPlum Alternatives in 2026
There’s no single phone system that’s right for everyone. A solo consultant, a medical practice, and a growing service business can have completely different needs.
These 9 providers are worth comparing with iPlum, depending on what matters most to you.
1) Unitel Voice
Best for: Entrepreneurs and small business owners who want a professional phone system without complicated setup.
If you’re starting or running a small business, Unitel Voice is worth a look.
It’s a virtual phone system designed to help small businesses manage customer calls without purchasing expensive equipment or maintaining a traditional office phone system.
You can get a local, toll free, or vanity business number and use it with your existing smartphone or computer. You can also forward business calls to another phone number or have multiple employees help answer calls.
Unitel Voice includes features that help even a one-person business sound established, including an auto attendant, custom greetings, extensions, call routing, and voicemail.
As your business grows, you can add team members or choose a plan that supports VoIP desk phones.
Key features:
- Local, toll free, and vanity business numbers
- Auto attendant and custom greetings
- Call forwarding and department extensions
- Business calling and texting
- Mobile and desktop apps
- Voicemail and call management
- Multiple-user options
- Human customer support
Starting price: $9.99/month
Why choose it over iPlum?
Unitel Voice is particularly appealing if your main priority is running a professional small business phone system with straightforward plans and helpful support.
iPlum is a strong contender for healthcare-focused communications, especially when HIPAA-related features are required. Unitel Voice focuses on everyday business calling, customer service, and helping small teams manage their phone presence.
Bottom line: A good fit for small business owners who want to keep their personal number private, sound professional, and manage customer calls from wherever they work.
2) Grasshopper
Best for: Solopreneurs and small businesses that want a familiar virtual phone system.
Grasshopper has been around for years and focuses on helping entrepreneurs manage business calls using their existing devices.
It’s built around the idea that you shouldn’t need an expensive office phone system just to give your business a professional number.
You can use Grasshopper to route calls, set up greetings, create extensions, and separate business communications from personal calls.
It’s particularly appealing to freelancers, consultants, and business owners who spend much of their day away from a desk.
Key features:
- Local and toll free numbers
- Custom greetings
- Call forwarding
- Business extensions
- Voicemail
- Mobile and desktop access
- Business texting options
Starting price: $18/month
Why consider it?
Grasshopper is worth comparing if you want a traditional virtual phone system built around business calling and forwarding.
Both Grasshopper and iPlum can provide a separate business number, but their service packages and intended audiences differ. Compare their messaging features, team options, and compliance requirements before choosing.
Bottom line: A familiar option for entrepreneurs who want to manage business calls without changing how they use their phones.
3) eVoice
Best for: Small businesses that want virtual phone features and flexible call handling.
eVoice is another established virtual phone provider aimed at small businesses and professionals.
Its focus is on helping businesses manage incoming calls, present a professional greeting, and direct callers to the right person.
For a consultant or small service business, those features can make it easier to handle customer calls while working remotely.
Key features to evaluate:
- Virtual business numbers
- Auto attendant capabilities
- Call forwarding
- Voicemail management
- Business greetings
- Call handling options
- Mobile access
Starting price: $14/month
Why consider it?
eVoice is worth exploring if your priority is business call handling rather than a healthcare-focused communication platform.
If you need HIPAA-related services, confirm whether eVoice supports your particular use case and offers the necessary contractual and technical safeguards. Don’t assume those capabilities are included simply because a provider offers business calling.
Bottom line: An option to compare if you want a virtual receptionist-style phone experience for your small business.
4) Quo
Best for: Startups and small teams that collaborate on calls and text messages.
Quo, formerly known as OpenPhone, takes a team-oriented approach to business communication.
Rather than focusing only on individual business phone lines, it emphasizes shared conversations and helping coworkers stay organized.
That can be useful when multiple employees communicate with the same customers and need visibility into previous calls and messages.
For example, if one employee handles an initial inquiry and another follows up, shared conversation history can help everyone understand what’s already been discussed.
Key features:
- Business calling and texting
- Shared numbers and conversations
- Team collaboration
- Contact management
- Internal notes
- Call management tools
- Business software integrations
Starting price: $19/month
Why consider it?
Quo is worth comparing if shared customer conversations and collaboration are central to your workflow.
iPlum also supports shared numbers and team communication, so the meaningful differences are in how each platform organizes conversations, integrates with other software, and packages its features.
Bottom line: A strong option to investigate for startups and small teams that want to manage customer conversations together.
5) RingCentral
Best for: Businesses that want a broader communications platform with advanced administration and integrations.
RingCentral is a well-established business communications provider serving companies of different sizes.
Its phone services offer much more than a second business number. Depending on the plan, businesses can access advanced call management, multi-user administration, integrations, and other communications tools.
For organizations managing multiple departments, locations, or larger teams, those capabilities can be useful.
RingCentral is also worth exploring if your company already uses several business applications and wants its phone system to connect with them.
Key features:
- Business calling
- Auto attendants and call routing
- Employee extensions
- Voicemail management
- Mobile and desktop apps
- Administrative controls
- Business integrations
- Advanced communications options
Starting price: $30/month
Why consider it?
RingCentral may be appealing if you need a broader communications platform with more integration and administrative options.
That doesn’t mean iPlum cannot support teams. iPlum offers multi-user management, shared calling, and routing features. The distinction is the overall platform, available integrations, and the particular needs of your organization.
Bottom line: Worth comparing if your business wants an established communications platform with room for more complex workflows.
6) Nextiva
Best for: Businesses looking to connect phone communications with customer-facing workflows.
Nextiva offers business communications products that go beyond basic calling.
Depending on the service and plan, businesses can combine phone capabilities with additional tools for communicating with customers and managing team activity.
That makes Nextiva worth considering if your phone system is part of a larger customer service or sales operation.
For example, a growing company might want employees to manage calls alongside other customer interactions rather than switching between unrelated systems.
Key features to compare:
- Business calling
- Call routing
- Auto attendants
- Voicemail
- Mobile and desktop access
- Team communications
- Customer interaction tools
- Integrations and administration
Starting price: $25/month
Why consider it?
Nextiva is worth comparing if your business wants its communications tools to work alongside customer service or sales processes.
Before choosing, check which products and features are included in the specific plan you’re considering.
Bottom line: A potential fit for businesses that want their phone service to be part of a broader customer communication setup.
7) Phone.com
Best for: Small businesses that want flexible phone plans and configurable features.
Phone.com is another business phone provider worth considering if you want to tailor your phone service to your needs.
It offers virtual phone capabilities, including business numbers, call handling, voicemail, and team-oriented features.
For a business that wants to compare different usage allowances, users, and service configurations, Phone.com gives you another option to evaluate.
Key features:
- Business phone numbers
- Auto attendant options
- Call routing and forwarding
- Voicemail
- Mobile and desktop access
- Team calling features
- Business texting options
- Additional service features
Starting price: $18/month
Why consider it?
Phone.com may appeal to businesses that want to compare different pricing structures and calling arrangements.
If your organization handles protected health information, ask Phone.com directly about its current HIPAA-related offerings, eligible plans, and BAA availability before making a decision.
Bottom line: A useful option to investigate if pricing flexibility and configurable business phone features are priorities.
8) Talkroute
Best for: Small businesses that want to organize incoming calls and direct customers to the right people.
Talkroute focuses on virtual phone systems for entrepreneurs and businesses that need to manage calls professionally.
It’s especially relevant if you want customers to call one main business number and reach different employees or departments.
For example, a small service company might want callers to choose between scheduling, sales, and customer support without giving out separate phone numbers for everyone.
Key features:
- Virtual business numbers
- Call menus
- Call forwarding
- Extensions
- Business hours
- Voicemail
- Mobile and desktop access
- Team calling options
Starting price: $19/month
Why consider it?
Talkroute is worth evaluating if call routing and organizing incoming customer calls are central to your business.
iPlum also offers phone trees, extensions, and call routing. Compare how each provider implements those features, how its plans are structured, and which interface works best for you.
Bottom line: A good candidate for service businesses that want a main business number with organized call handling.
9) Zoom Phone
Best for: Businesses already using Zoom that want calling in the same software ecosystem.
If your company already relies on Zoom for meetings, Zoom Phone is an obvious option to investigate.
Zoom Phone extends the Zoom ecosystem with business calling capabilities, allowing employees to manage phone communications alongside other Zoom services.
For teams already familiar with Zoom, using another product in the same ecosystem may simplify how employees access communications tools.
Key features:
- Business calling
- Call forwarding and routing
- Auto attendants
- Voicemail
- Extensions
- Mobile and desktop access
- Administrative controls
- Integration with the Zoom ecosystem
Starting price: $18/month
Why consider it?
Zoom Phone is particularly appealing when your business already uses Zoom and wants to consolidate communications under the same provider.
Compare the complete cost of the required phone licenses, calling plans, and any other services your business needs.
Bottom line: A natural option to evaluate for businesses already invested in Zoom.
3. How Does iPlum Compare?
Before switching away from iPlum, it’s worth looking at what the platform actually offers.
iPlum is more than a basic second-line phone app. Its business phone features include custom greetings, phone trees, extensions, call routing, voicemail, business hours, shared numbers, and centralized administration.
It also offers HIPAA-focused communication capabilities, including secure texting and BAA support on eligible plans.
According to iPlum’s published pricing, its phone plans include Standard, Professional, and Enterprise options, with different features and billing terms.
The Standard plan covers core business calling and texting features. Professional adds capabilities such as shared numbers, web calling and texting, voicemail transcription, and HIPAA-related features. Enterprise adds call recording and longer-term archiving features.
So why look at alternatives?
Because having the right features is only one part of choosing a phone system.
You might prefer a provider that specializes in small business phone service, offers a different team collaboration experience, integrates with software you already use, or structures its pricing differently.
Those are legitimate reasons to compare providers, even when your current phone system already offers the core capabilities you need.
4. Which iPlum Alternative Should You Choose?
The right choice depends on how your business communicates. Here’s how we’d narrow the options.
1) You Run a Small Business and Want a Professional Phone System
Start by comparing Unitel Voice, Grasshopper, eVoice, and Talkroute.
These providers are worth considering when your main goal is handling business calls professionally without maintaining a traditional office phone setup.
Unitel Voice is particularly appealing if you want a business number, auto attendant, extensions, call forwarding, and the ability to work from your smartphone or computer.
2) You Need Multiple Employees to Manage Customer Conversations
Take a closer look at Quo, RingCentral, and Nextiva.
All three are worth investigating for businesses that want collaboration and communications tools beyond an individual phone line.
Remember that iPlum also supports shared numbers and team administration. Compare the actual workflows, plan features, and user experience rather than assuming you need to switch to support multiple employees.
3) Your Business Needs HIPAA-Focused Communication
Don’t overlook iPlum itself.
Its HIPAA-focused calling and texting capabilities, BAA support, and healthcare-oriented administrative features make it a relevant option for medical practices and other covered organizations.
You can also investigate other providers, but confirm their current compliance offerings directly. A provider may offer a BAA for certain services without covering every product or communication channel.
4) You Want Your Phone System to Work With Software You Already Use
Consider Zoom Phone if your team uses Zoom, or RingCentral and Nextiva if broader business integrations are important.
The fewer disconnected systems your team needs to manage, the easier your communications workflow may be.
Just make sure the integrations you want are available on the plan you’re considering.
5. Final Thoughts: Finding the Right iPlum Alternative
iPlum offers a capable business phone system, particularly for professionals and organizations that value secure communications and healthcare-focused features.
But there’s no reason to choose a phone provider without comparing your options.
If you’re running a small business and mainly want to answer customer calls professionally, Unitel Voice is a strong place to start. If team collaboration is your priority, Quo may deserve a closer look. If you want a broader communications platform, RingCentral or Nextiva might make sense.
And if you’re a healthcare organization that needs HIPAA-focused communications, iPlum deserves consideration alongside any alternative that can meet your requirements.
The best phone system isn’t necessarily the one with the longest feature list. It’s the one that fits your business, your budget, and the way you actually work.
Frequently Asked Questions About iPlum Alternatives
1) What is the best alternative to iPlum?
It depends on what you’re looking for. Unitel Voice is worth considering for small business calling, Quo for collaborative customer conversations, and RingCentral for broader business communications.
If HIPAA-focused calling and texting are essential, compare each provider’s compliance capabilities carefully. iPlum itself may still be a strong fit.
2) Does iPlum have an auto attendant and call routing?
Yes. iPlum offers phone trees, auto attendant functionality, call routing, extensions, and business hours management.
These features help businesses greet callers and direct calls to the appropriate person or department. The exact capabilities available depend on the applicable plan and configuration.
3) Can iPlum support multiple employees?
Yes. iPlum supports multi-user business phone systems, shared business numbers, team administration, and collaborative calling and texting features.
If you’re comparing alternatives for your team, look at how each provider handles permissions, shared conversations, extensions, and per-user pricing.
4) Is iPlum HIPAA compliant?
iPlum offers HIPAA-focused communication services and Business Associate Agreement support on eligible plans.
Its Professional and Enterprise offerings include healthcare-oriented features. However, an organization’s HIPAA compliance also depends on appropriate configuration, policies, safeguards, and use of the service.
Review iPlum’s healthcare phone system information and confirm the requirements for your organization.
5) Can I transfer my iPlum number to another provider?
You can generally request to port an eligible business phone number to a new provider, subject to the applicable porting requirements.
Before starting, confirm that your new provider can accept the number. Keep your existing service active during the transfer unless the providers instruct you otherwise.
Porting timelines vary depending on the number and carriers involved.
6) Which iPlum alternative is best for a solo entrepreneur?
Unitel Voice and Grasshopper are both worth comparing if you mainly need a separate business number.
Consider whether you want an auto attendant, custom greetings, call forwarding, business texting, and room to add employees later.
7) Are there iPlum alternatives with business texting?
Yes. Several providers on this list offer business texting, including Unitel Voice and Quo, subject to plan and geographic availability.
For U.S. business texting, carrier registration requirements may apply. Check each provider’s registration process, eligibility rules, and associated fees before signing up.
8) Is iPlum only for healthcare businesses?
No. Although iPlum emphasizes secure communications and healthcare-related features, its business phone services can also serve professionals and businesses in other industries.
Its calling, texting, voicemail, phone tree, and team features are not limited to healthcare use cases.
9) How much does iPlum cost?
iPlum offers several phone plans with different features and billing options.
Its published pricing lists Standard, Professional, and Enterprise plans, with lower monthly-equivalent rates available through annual billing. Professional and Enterprise include additional capabilities, including HIPAA-focused services.
Visit iPlum’s pricing page for current prices, billing terms, and included features.
10) What should I check before switching business phone providers?
Start by confirming that the new provider supports your business number, calling needs, texting requirements, and any security or compliance obligations.
Then compare the total cost, support options, available integrations, and how the service handles your daily workflow.
If you’re transferring an existing number, coordinate the port before canceling your old service.
Editorial note: Product information is based on publicly available provider documentation, and features, prices, and plan availability may change. Readers should confirm current details directly with each provider.
